


Sic Parvis Magna

by thecaptainsspeech



Series: The Sails on Ships [1]
Category: Original Work
Genre: ??? - Freeform, Alternate Universe - Pirate, Alternate Universe - Real World, F/F, Gen, LOTS OF THEM???, Lesbian Character of Color, Multi, Pirates, Queer Gen, celebrating assorted cultures too, i can't explain it, multi-racial relationships, sort of
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-01-15
Updated: 2015-05-01
Packaged: 2018-03-07 15:16:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 2,901
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3176675
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thecaptainsspeech/pseuds/thecaptainsspeech
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's just like Francis Drake always said- "Sic Parvis Magna"</p><p>Maggie's no exception.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. In The Begining

When Margaret Quinn was only a little servant girl living in a stately mansion, she decided on one thing. 

“I’m going to see the world one day.” she said with that same determination that children often have. The other little girl, similar in age, who shared the small room, a solid stone tower in the oldest and most drafty part of the mansion, only spared her a sour glance.

“You can’t say things like that,” she whispered, fixing her modest bed as if there was some higher power who might be listening. “If Master DePonte catches you…” she left the threat open, sure that it would convince Maggie not to pursue the thought further. 

But it didn’t help. Maggie had seen the things Master DePonte brought off the royal ships from far off places she’d never heard of, let alone pronounce. The gold and treasure that had to be carried off of the ships by at least ten of the strongest men, then there were the beautiful clothes that made her simple linen smock look like the trash it was. The treasures made her eyes sparkle in delight. There was nothing she longed for more than just a moment where she could touch it. Just to pretend that the beautiful things might belong to her.

She’d heard the stories Master DePonte told the Queen in her court. And through all the danger he spoke of, through the hard and unfair realization that the world was not a place for a girl like her, she desperately wanted to be a part of it. The other girl finally gave Maggie a full second of attention, seeing that her advice had went on deft ears. 

“Honestly Margaret, you can’t tell anybody!” Maggie jutted her lip out in a pout. 

“You just don’t understand… Master DePonte and I… He gets it! There’s so much out there and I need to see it all!” 

The girl froze on the spot. 

“You aren’t still-“ She lowered her voice to a harsh whisper. Unlike Maggie, she knew how the wrong things said by the wrong people meant trouble for everyone. “Maggie you’re not still in love with him, are you?” It was that obvious, was it? 

True, Master DePonte was above her in social standing (which was putting it lightly), hardly paid her any mind (understandable considering she wasn’t much to speak of in terms of looks what with the dark skin, unruly curly hair and dark brown eyes), not to mention the large age gap. 

Still, Maggie shared that love of adventure. That desperation to put her mark on the world. She idolized him, and that must count for something- right? 

“N-no I just-“ There was no use in hiding it. The other girl shook her head, scrubbing at her dirty face, looking so tired for such a little girl. 

“Maggie, please…You can’t tell anybody, okay? They’ll hurt you. They’ll probably hurt me because I knew!” Maggie didn’t want anybody to get hurt, and she sounded so desperate…So, Maggie tucked her head on her arm and stared out of the stone window and into the night sky. Dreaming of places where she might never see, and people she might never meet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also this chapter is totally unbeta'd! so if you see any errors, please point them out to me! It would be much appreciated!


	2. This Is Not the Droid You're Looking For

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which, Vera's more trouble than she's worth, and sets the course for a fateful meeting.

The Pirate Queen thrust her stolen sword at the charging invader who, skillfully, ducked and rolled; getting a solid punch in enough to smack the weapon out of her hand. Both paused for only a moment, before Maggie’s frown turned into pure annoyance. In the moment before her attacker had a chance to jump up and snatch the sword, she pulled a simple pistol from her holster and cocked back the hammer, firing into the man’s chest with a resounding crack. When the man clutched at the large hole in his chest, and fell over backwards dead, she turned towards the din of her other crew members fighting only to come face to face with the Russian she disliked so much who was perched on the bow of the ship. 

The fiery red head bobbed her head once, silky grin in place. 

“Ah, Maggie! Fancy meeting you here!” 

Maggie bent and scooped up the sword in her hand then took cover behind a large crate that they’d just stolen from a Mongolian ship hours before, then started muttering darkly. 

“Vera, what the hell did you steal this time? These Japanese blokes seem like their pretty pissed.” Vera simply shrugged her thin shoulders.

“Nothing that they would miss, yes?” Maggie scowled. 

“I wouldn’t have offered you a safe place on the ship if you’d have just been straight with me and said you had the whole bloody army after you-“ Vera didn’t seem to care, preferring to watch the fighting going on with a look of pure glee. 

“You seem to be fighting slower! Maybe you should eat less?” the Russian woman, a nationalist spy who’d grown up on the wrong side of Russia, took delight in reaching out and patting Maggie’s stomach. It was true, Maggie had always had a large appetite, on top of being born a big boned girl. She chalked it up to a mixture of discovering delicious, exotic food and playing catch up from a starving childhood. But she threw around her weight like a pro, and it certainly didn’t stop her from getting exactly what, or _who_ , she wanted. 

Maggie smacked her hand away, getting more and more mad by the second.

“Get off my bloody ship, then! Take your pals with you!” Vera clicked her tongue, slinking off her perch and onto the wooden floor of the great ship. 

“Now, now Maggie…” 

There it was. The voice Maggie had grown to hate. 

Vera only ever used it if she was in trouble, and knew her good looks could get her out of it. The Pirate Queen had fallen prey to the incredibly good looking Russian more than a few times and wasn’t about to do it again. At least not when her ship and crew were in danger. “It hurts me when you become so stern!” 

“Are you fucking kidding me? Look at what Japan’s finest are doing to my ship!” Maggie gestured to the rest of the fight. 

A couple of men were traipsing across their own ships sails with homemade torches, setting fire to the sails. 

Even worse, what was left of Maggie’s crew was being thrown around like rag dolls by other, tougher looking soldiers in the scariest looking armor that Maggie had ever seen. 

Vera still didn’t seem phased, instead she practically rubbed up against Maggie like a cat. 

“Honestly, it’s not like you’ll get into trouble. You can always steal a bigger ship.” Maggie scowled, pulling away from Vera like she had a disease. 

“I’m quite fond of this ship, you know! I can’t keep getting new ones every time you decide to bring home some new group of thugs!” Vera only got a chance to smile before one of said thugs in scary armor noticed they were hiding and practically tore their hiding spot away. Tossing it like it weighted nothing. 

Vera was gone in a flash, gripping a rope and giving the soldier a cheeky salute before swinging off to her own boat tethered bellow. Maggie stared, completely in shock. Glancing once down at Vera’s boat before looking back at the soldier who was getting more and more angry by the second. 

“Look mate, I don’t know what she took but-“ 

One swing to the head and that was it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> c:


	3. Maggie Meets Lady of the Trees

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maggie is brought before her captor and the adventure is set in motion.

Maggie had woken up in her fair share of shitty places. There had been that one time in the Barbados where she woke up in the local brothel with a black eye, split lip and not a penny (or piece of clothing) to her name.

Even that time in the Patagonia where she had taken a small crew to get some such fabled treasure and woke up the only one not frozen to death, only after a slight miscalculation in direction that led them closer to Antarctica then Argentina. 

Numerous other places had made the list of crappy places to end up, but this place… The giant sprawling manor of a feudal lord was definitely not one of them. 

Maggie hadn’t really seen much of Japan before, after all they weren’t too fond of pirates. But now that she was being hauled in to this mansion, she could hardly believe she hadn’t ended up here one way or another before. At any rate, she’d heard the people were to die for. 

Giant stone cranes held up the front gate, necks arched backwards, holding wooden beams thicker than the mast of Maggie’s ship, or at least whatever was left of it. The gate lead into the most impressive lawn Maggie had ever seen, complete with ponds and bridges. Everything had it’s place and it looked like the utmost care was taken in keeping it that way at all times, judging by the sheer amount of people bustling around the manor in all directions. 

A few of the thugs had Maggie by the armpits, dragging her along through the gates. They spoke briefly to a few armored guards, sparing Maggie a few dark glances that had the pirate queen swallowing rather thickly. She had a feeling that nobody here was happy to see her. 

_Wonderful._

She thought as they led her through the gates and over the lawn. The manor, the main house in particular, was much larger than it had seemed from afar. Looming over Maggie, reminding her just how in over her head she was. 

_Won’t be leaving Japan behind on good terms._

As she was dragged through hallway after hallway, assorted people in white robe looking garments stopped and stared. Maggie was jaded enough to know servants when she saw them. Some of the workers were hid behind paper screens, peeking out from the light bamboo frames just long enough to catch a glimpse of the pirate in question. They were all whispering to each other, scurrying around nervously to spread the news of the new prisoner in their home. A group of younger girls all stood in a circle, pressing against a wall when the jail party passed. They stopped gossiping long enough to watch Maggie being hauled off by the tall, burly guards and blushed deeply, hiding behind their sleeves when she winked at them with a charming smile. 

The throne room, or what Maggie assumed was a throne room, was wider than the other rooms she’d caught glimpses of through the property. The same screens she’d seen servants peeking at her through made up the four walls. Floors made of a soft, supple wood slid under Maggie’s feet as she tried to fight back enough against the guards to walk on her own two feet.

She was jostled roughly, then tossed onto the floor before a man wearing the richest robes the Pirate Queen had ever seen. 

The man, who she knew enough to guess, as the head of the household sat comfortably on a decorative mat- placed on a single step of raised floor. Around her were servants and important members of the house, all staring accusingly at her, judging her for one of the few crimes that Maggie honestly hadn’t committed. 

The lord of the house looked down over his thin nose at her, deep brown eyes so dark they looked black. His gaze bore into her like a knife and she knew that she wouldn’t likely be coming out of this encounter alive. 

Distracted as she was, the soft noise of padded feet broke Maggie’s attention away from the man. All noise in the room grew hushed as the most beautiful girl Maggie had ever seen stepped out from behind a screen door on the raised platform. Her hair folded neatly to the back of her head, thin, almond shaped eyes looking down on Maggie who was suddenly very aware of how wretched she looked. She too, wore a gorgeous robe, the lightest shade of blue with the shape of cranes dancing along the bottom. 

_it suits her,_

Maggie thought quickly, stretching herself so she could look more closely at the girl. The girl in question didn't seem to notice or care- frowning with an air of severity. 

_but the face sure doesn't_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oh noooo- cliff hanger


	4. The Price of A Pirate's Life

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> To save her life, Maggie resorts to desperate measures.

The lord of the house narrowed his dark eyes, managing very well to look threatening, regardless of how thin, and frail he looked. “Margaret Quinn, the self proclaimed pirate queen,” he hissed. “I know exactly who you are…” Maggie knew she was sweating bullets and hoped it didn’t show, hoping at least to look a little pulled together. “f-funny,” she said, licking her dry lips once before continuing.

“I’ve never had the pleasure-“ 

She attempted a charming smile, even aiming it at the attractive young lady who sat just behind her father. The lady in question simply looked appalled. 

“the stories of your travels precede you. I hear you search for and take treasures that don’t belong to you, kill innocents that might stand in your way and now you stand in my home, on the day of my daughters birthday and not only steal what was to be her gift, but insult warriors under my charge?” 

Maggie raised her eyebrows.

“You mean you’re the one who sent the welcoming committee?” 

The lord narrowed his eyes even further. 

“Look,” Maggie began scooting towards him as best she could. She’d learnt in her travels that more often than not, the closer you got to a person, the more friendly you looked. If you got up close and personal, they could better see how earnest you were being. 

“This is one big honest mistake, I didn’t steal anything. A friend…well, more of an acquaintance, really- she stole the thing. So if you let me go,” she made a running away motion with her hands. “I’ll give you the name of a guy you can hire to get it back from the real thief who stole it.” 

she held eye contact. 

let them see how earnest you are, Maggie. 

Apparently personal space was something to be prized in Japan, if his disgusted expression was anything to go by. Instead, he looked very much finished with the whole conversation. Waving a quick hand, a guard stepped forward with a sword the likes of which Maggie had only seen one time before in the hand of a man who had vowed for her death (only after she had narrowly escaped). This time, though, it didn’t look like such a close call. In fact, in her professional opinion, it looked rather final. One man swept to the side, raising the sword with two strong arms. Maggie was sweating again and she didn’t care if it was obvious now. 

“Wait!” Maggie had squeezed her eyes shut tight. “I’ll get it back for you myself! Just-!” 

She waited, feeling short of breath. When nothing came, she slowly opened her eyes. The Lord of the house was staring down at her, unimpressed, but still waiting for her explanation. His arm outstretched to halt his armed servant, though it was falling fast. She rushed to swallow, taking a ragged, breath. Her heart still felt like it was in her throat. Voice shaking slightly, she repeated herself. 

“I-If you let me live, I’ll bring it back to you personally, I swear.” 

The Lord’s nostrils flared out, face turning a horrendous shade of red. When he spoke it was in a low hiss. 

“You? Is that supposed to bring me comfort? Am I simply supposed to let you sail freely away from my port? In my ship?! Tell me, pirate, am I supposed to blindly trust you?!” 

It was then that Maggie did something she hadn’t done since her days as a slave.

She started to grovel. 

Bowing low to the ground as she possibly could, she clenched her hands into fists. It was a far fetched plan, simply grasping at straws. When she started her life as a pirate, when she was finally free she’d promised herself she would never do it again. Never again would she humiliate herself for someone else’s enjoyment. But with a sword on the back of her throat and her life not in her own hands, it was a chance she was forced to take. It was the self preservation and will to live that made her do it. She’d worry about being angry with herself later. 

“I’m begging for my life…” she said softly. 

“Please”

He grew quiet for a moment. All huffing and puffing he’d done only a second ago silenced. Finally he spoke. Measured and tight. 

“Whether you live or die does not matter to me. I would rather sacrifice the life of one pirate for the many lives of my kinsmen.” 

Maggie could practically feel her heart stop dead in her chest. 

“You will face severe punishment, then be led as a prisoner to retrieve the item that you stole from me and my family. That is all.” 

He stood now, sending her one last glare before Relief flooded through her so fast she almost started shaking. His daughter stood as well, turning to leave. Before she could hide her face behind the paper screen of the next room, ,there was a flicker of something in her expression that Maggie couldn’t put a name to immediately. 

It couldn’t be pity. 

Could it?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was gonna post the last two chapters together. But I finally got this one done. So I lied. I'm posting them separately. The last chapter of the introduction is currently on the way! 
> 
> let me know what you think!

**Author's Note:**

> sooooo... this is based on my two ocs that i created. There are tons more, and basically this is meant to be a collection of short stories that focus on a new adventure every story. This is basically an AU of the world's cultures where they're all at different points in their history (ex. england is still imperialistic and very pirate based, Japan is in the 1400-1600 A.D period, etc, etc.) they co-exsist but everything is very secluded so countries don't often talk to each other.


End file.
